Loading, please wait...
LOT 1451
Luristan Bronze Spearhead
EARLY 1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
10 1/2 in. (233 grams, 26.7 cm).
With foliate blade and raised mid-rib with the tang bent at the tip. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
Cf. Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 1, London, 2002, item 31, p.34, for similar blades.
FootnotesSimilar spearheads were excavated in the Marlik Royal cemetery by Dr Negahban, see for example in tomb 47, Trench XXIIE. They were the evolution of a typology which began much earlier in Mesopotamia and the fertile crescent, the type 4 of the Stronach classification, with straight tang and square section, usually thickened at the base with a button tang. The foliate blade was wide and exaggerated in some specimens excavated at Marlik.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Luristan Bronze Rivetted Dagger
13th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Leaf-shaped blade with slight midrib, slightly recurved shoulders, stub tang pierced to accept attachment rivets, two in situ. 68 grams, 16.6 cm
Acquired in Oxford, UK. From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; with collection no.BA20; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent. -
Medieval Pierced Incendiary Fire Arrowhead
Circa 12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
With heater-shaped profile and holes to the trailing edge, baluster to the neck, square-section tang. 100 grams, 21.5 cm
Private Buckingham, UK, collection, formed before 2000. -
Viking Iron Sword with Three-Lobed Pommel
10th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,510
Comprising a two-edged blade with broad fuller and rounded tip, narrow lower guard with rounded outer ends, broad tang, lobed pommel of Type U with cocked-hat profile and lower guard, traces of silvering. 848 grams, 92 cm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12356-225922.
Petersen considered this type of Viking sword similar to the previous types R and S, but with differences in the pommel and cross-guard. The traces of silver ornaments on the guard and pommel are artistically consistent with archaeological examples of decorative work from the geographic region or estimated cultural point of origin, probably Eastern Scandinavia or the Baltic areas.
